"We often confuse the effects of inactivity with the ageing process itself, and believe certain diseases are purely the result of getting older". BBC News – Can exercise reverse the ageing process?
https://www.bbc.com/news/health-47331544
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“Studies suggest regular exercise is more effective than any drug yet invented to prevent conditions facing older people, such as muscle loss .”
“The greater health of older exercisers compared to their sedentary counterparts can lead people to believe physical activity can reverse or slow down the ageing process.
But the reality is that these active older people are exactly as they should be.
In our distant past we were hunter-gatherers, and our bodies are designed to be physically active.
So, if an active 80-year-old has a similar physiology to an inactive 50-year-old, it is the younger person who appears older than they should be, not the other way around.”
“We often confuse the effects of inactivity with the ageing process itself, and believe certain diseases are purely the result of getting older.
Actually, our modern sedentary lifestyles have simply speeded up our underlying age-related decline. “
“Many of us are simply not active enough. In England fewer than half of 16-24 year olds meet the recommendation for aerobic and muscle strengthening exercises; for 65-74 year-olds, it falls to fewer than one in 10.”
“Analysis of American adults aged 50-71 found those who had exercised between two and eight hours a week from their teens through to their 60s, had a 29-36% lower chance of dying from any cause over the 20-year study period.”
“In today's world we have largely been able to get away with problems related to our inactivity, by leaning on the crutch of modern medicine for support.
But while our average life expectancy has increased quite rapidly, our "healthspan" – the period of life we can enjoy free from disease – has not.
Many benefiting from projected life expectancy increases by 2035 will spend their extra years with four diseases or more”.
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Can exercise reverse the ageing process?
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Posted to FB on 2019-03-23 15:19:30